Cyborg

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The Cybermen, the stereotypical cyborg

A cyborg (short for cybernetic organism) was a being that was composed of both natural and artificial systems, ranging from prosthetics to implants to entirely mechanical casings operated by or sustaining the organic parts of that particular entity.

The term biomechanoid was also used to apply to cybernetic-biological integrations, such as the Dalek battle computer requiring a human to operate it (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks), the Dragon that guarded Iceworld (TV: Dragonfire), and the Ice Warriors. (TV: Cold War)

Cyborgs were sometimes victims of injury in which their biological bodies were damaged beyond their ability to heal. (TV: The Pirate Planet, Voyage of the Damned)

Both the Mondasian Cybermen and Pete's World Cybermen were examples of cyborgs which, due to widespread use of standard parts, could be considered a race.

Sometimes pure robots such as K9 Mark 2 and CCPCs were referred to as cyborgs. (TV: Liberation, The Bounty Hunter, Mutant Copper) K9 himself commonly referred to himself as a cybernetic organism. (TV: The Korven, Robot Gladiators)

Known cyborgs

Known cyborgs and extent of alterations include:

The Daleks were Kaled mutants in armoured polycarbide or Dalekanium shells. The armor protected a living creature on the inside, serving as life support as well as a weapon that was difficult to destroy. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks, Genesis of the Daleks, et al.)

Davros was another Kaled who suffered horrible disfigurement. He rode in and was supported by an advanced wheelchair which served as a life support system and could keep him alive in extreme circumstances and for very long periods of time. He had a prosthetic third eye and later a prosthetic hand. (AUDIO: Corruption, TV: Genesis of the Daleks, The Stolen Earth)

The Toclafane were human cyborgs from a time near the end of the universe, whose heads were fused into mechanical spheres by The Master. They were brought to 21st century Earth and used to conquer the planet and suppress the human population. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)

The Zygons' artificially enhanced a creature known as a Skarasen, from which they derived sustenance. They used the creature to wreak havoc on oil rigs in the North Sea by planting beacons on them that the Skarasen was drawn to. (TV: Terror of the Zygons)

Bannakaffalatta was a cyborg from the planet Sto who had cybernetic chest, suggesting replacement of vital organs. He was ashamed of his cyborg nature, as cyborgs were discriminated against on Sto. He was fond of Astrid Peth and died defending her and those they were with from the Heavenly Host. (TV: Voyage of the Damned)

Max Capricorn was a cyborg from the planet Sto. Somehow, he wound up being just a head fused into a cybernetic casing. The casing could extend his lifespan greatly. He was voted out of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners by his own board, and was bent on revenge. He intended to use the Titanic to cause a slaughter on Earth, for which the entire board would be arrested. He was thwarted, and fell to his death into the ship's storm drive. (TV: Voyage of the Damned)

A cyborg simply known as The Captain possessed a cybernetic mask and arm, which replaced his original limbs after he was severely injured in a crash landing on Zanak. (TV: The Pirate Planet)

Pete's World Cybermen were converted humans from an alternate universe. Human brains were cut free and then placed within a suit of armour. The conversion could use the entire body, however. Later, they could even convert the dead. (TV: The Age of Steel, Cyberwoman, Death in Heaven)

A Cybershade was a weapon used by the Cybermen which consisted of a disembodied cat or dog brain placed within a suit of armour. They were incapable of speech, but could roar or howl with an electronically affected voice. (TV: The Next Doctor)

Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17 was, more-or-less, a human from the year five billion. She had undergone extensive surgery to prolong her lifespan until she was nothing more than a piece of skin stretched on a metal frame, connected to a brain in a jar. (TV: The End of the World, New Earth)

Peking Homunculus had the cerebral cortex of a pig with a robot body made to look like a dummy. The Homunculus was homicidally insane, and loved carnage and violence. When his master showed signs of weakness, he turned on him and attempted to kill everyone in the room. (TV: The Talons of Weng-Chiang)

Psi was a cyborg who identified as an "augmented human". He possessed a cybernetic-ally enhanced brain. He could download information directly to it, project information onto surfaces, and delete memories at will. (TV: Time Heist)

Tricky Van Baalen was a human cyborg with an artificial voicebox and eyes used to replace what he had lost in an accident. His memory, however, could not be replaced, and he was tricked into believing he was an android. (TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS)

• The Juggernauts - implanted human DNA. (AUDIO: The Juggernauts)
• The Dragon which guarded the Dragonfire. (TV: Dragonfire)
• Winders - prosthetic second face and rotating head. (TV: The Beast Below)
• Mondasian Cybermen - humanoid bodies converted and adapted into a cyborg. (TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen)
• Cyberdog - mechanical legs and head. (COMIC: Enemy Mine)
• Cyberslave - flesh and bone converted into metal via nanobot infection. (GAME: Blood of the Cybermen)
• Cyber-Silurian - Silurians who had undergone Cyber-Conversion.
• Drake - prosthetic hand. (TV: Fear Itself)
• Birdie - implanted human DNA. (TV: Mutant Copper)
• The Borg - humanoid bodies augmented with cybernetic implants. (COMIC: Assimilation²)
• Kahler such as Kahler-Tek were given enhancements including a weapon built in the arm, a targeting system and the ability to teleport. (TV: A Town Called Mercy)
• Nardole - cybernetic body. After he was decapitated, his head was "glued" back on a body by the Twelfth Doctor. (TV: The Husbands of River Song, The Return of Doctor Mysterio, The Pilot)
• King Hydroflax (TV: The Husbands of River Song)

Development

Most cyborgs originated as organic lifeforms who suffered bodily damage or loss of body parts, necessitating mechanical replacements.

The Cybermen originally were organics, but made themselves cybernetic in order to sustain their lives. (TV: The Tenth Planet, AUDIO: Spare Parts)

Daleks were originally humanoid organics. They became mutants encased in bonded polycarbide armour to survive a nuclear war and wipe out all other life. (TV: Genesis of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks)

Not all cyborgs were originally organic, both Mechanoids (AUDIO: The Juggernauts) and CCPCs (TV: Mutant Copper) were implanted with human DNA. The results were the Juggernauts and Birdie.

History

Cyborgs were found throughout the universe. In Christmas 2008, cyborgs were aboard the starship Titanic, (Max Capricorn and Bannakaffalatta). It was spoken of how the society of the time despised cyborgs, although it was also mentioned cyborgs were beginning to get equal rights (e.g. rights to marry). (TV: Voyage of the Damned)

Psychology

Many cyborgs considered their form of life to be superior to organic life, in the case of the Cybermen they viewed this as a failing of organic life and sought to convert organics via a process of Cyber-conversion into beings such as themselves, or other beings similar such as Cybermats. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen, AUDIO: The Crystal of Cantus)

Other species, such as the Daleks considered themselves to be the superior beings and sought to exterminate or subjugate all other life in the universe that was not a Dalek. (TV: Genesis of the Daleks) Unlike the Cybermen they did not attempt to alter or convert other species into a Dalek life form. However the Daleks did experiment with bodily possession of humanoid beings, and elements of humanoid and Dalek "essences". (AUDIO: The Curse of Davros, TV: The Power of the Daleks) In extreme circumstances; the Daleks did convert humanoid species into Dalek mutants to be placed within a Dalek travel machine, in these circumstances it was due to necessity, unlike the Cybermen's motivations. (AUDIO: The Time of the Daleks)

Emotions

Some cyborgs had emotions, and others did not. Bannakaffalatta had emotional feelings of attraction, kindness, attitude, self-sacrifice, humour and taking offence. (TV: Voyage of the Damned) On the other hand, both the Mondasian and Pete's World Cybermen had their emotions removed via an emotional inhibitor placed within their chest plate, because emotions would "destroy" them. This was used by the Tenth Doctor, who stopped the inhibitors inside the Pete's World Cybermen from working, and Craig Owens, who, in his own words, "blew them up with love" for his son Alfie, overloading the emotional inhibitors. The Cybermen, who were once human, realised what they had become; they were driven insane and died. (TV: The Age of Steel, Closing Time) The opposite of the Cybermen's case occurred in the CCPC Birdie, who was originally a pure robot. The fact that he had emotions was a contributing factor to his cyborg status. (TV: Mutant Copper)

Research and study

Many scientists of various species studied cybernetics, including Dr Tanizaki, (TV: Cyberwoman) Professor Alistair Gryffen (TV: Regeneration) and Davros. (AUDIO: The Juggernauts)

Cybernetics was a branch of knowledge on Gallifrey, indeed studied and mastered by the Doctor. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks)